Church premises turned into brothel

BULAWAYO - South Africa-based Church of Scientology is facing a crisis as their building in Bulawayo has been illegally invaded by sex workers, drunkards and street kids who are refusing to vacate the premises despite city council efforts to evict them.

In an interview with the Daily News, the church administrator, who identified himself as Chipere, confirmed the presence of illegal occupants who are resisting eviction.

“It is true that there are people living in our building and most of them are drunkards and street kids. We closed the flat after water supplies were cut,” Chipere said.

“The church never used the building but to our surprise people broke in and started using the premises without our permission. We reported the matter to the police and city council who have previously tried to evict people living there but they still come back, break in and continue living there.”

He said the illegal occupants have been living in their building for more than seven years now.

“The police are aware of this issue because there are cases of violence that are reported almost every day from the building. People, who live there abuse alcohol, use the rooms for sexual pleasures, they have destroyed the windows, doors and the place is very untidy now. I really don’t know how the situation can be dealt with,” he said.

Chipere said some of the people who live at Marvel Court along Joshua Nkomo Street are normal families and there was a time when they threatened him saying they have political support to forestall eviction.

“They threatened me, saying they are politically connected and since they have nowhere to stay they have no option but to occupy the building. The building will soon be renovated because we are still working on getting permission from border authorities to bring in material and renovate the building. It is still our building and we don’t want to use force on the people,” Chipere said.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Mandlenkosi Moyo told the Daily News that he had not received any reports about the issue but police will look into the case and make sure that everything is resolved.

“I’m not aware of the issue myself but it is our duty to protect the lives of the people. Therefore, as police we will be there to escort whoever will come and report, to make sure no one is hurt during the eviction process,” Moyo said.

A source close to the city council revealed that they attempted evicting people living there but they kept coming back.

“At first we evicted them with the help of the police but they returned. The second time we gave them an ultimatum that they leave the premises in a certain period of time but up to date they are still there. We are not sure how to handle this case anymore,” he said.

Comments (10)

It's amusing. The Scientology crime syndicate gets its shrinking number of customers (less than 15,000 remaining world wide) to purchase Real Estate for the criminal enterprise's head ringleader David Miscavige, then as the empty business offices remain closed and rotting due to no customers, people around the world are seizing the empty buildings or cities are seizing them and ordering the insane crooks to clean them up. It's just so amusing. David tried to get his surviving few customers to buy him Real Estate which the insane sociopath thought would help fund his Argentianian retirement once Federal law enforcement agents start kicking in doors looking for him. Instead these properties are falling apart, not enough remaining customers even to purchase water utilities or toilet paper even if they has power and water. Love seeing these violently insane criminals dying off, Scientology's body count was high enough 3 decades ago.

fred - 6 February 2014

"We are not sure how to handle this case anymore (sic)." An awesome admission from a scientologist because they are all about handling things, indeed they think they are the only ones who can handle everything. LOL.

Dean Fox - 6 February 2014

The sad sad thing is that some caring people think they are actually saving the world by donating millions for this Ponzi Scheme to enrich David Miscavige.

Izhar Perlman - 6 February 2014

These are the same things that went on in the rooms at,The Celebrity Center in Los Angeles. Of course we do have a working sauna.

Troy MacGyver - 6 February 2014

Really, street kid prostitutes? How come that wasn't in my last issue of,Freedom magazine. My 707 could be fueled up and ready for takeoff!

John Travolta - 6 February 2014

Isn't this what a church should be doing - giving shelter to the homeless and those rejected from society? Jesus was never too proud to associate with prostitutes and other unpopular people. What a difference to Scientology organizations in the USA, where only millionaires who can make make large donations are welcomed.

David Cooke - 7 February 2014

Sex, drugs and violence. Now that's an ideal org.

oneonewasaracecar - 8 February 2014

Perfect example of why squatter's rights laws are the way they are. I'd like to see more of this type of action at other empty shells of "ideal" org buildings all over the world. Force the church's hand and expose them once and for all. Enjoy.

The Tim Channel - 10 February 2014

What a sick world! If people only really duplicated Scientology.. .. there would be a sane rich Zimbabwe and the rest of our african countrys. Just look around you..really what you really see and experiance??? I am so proud tobe part of a group that is at least doing SOMETHING about It!!!! V. Waard

V.E. De Waard - 3 September 2015

Those scientologists will count the drunkards, sex workers and street kids as new members of the fastest growing religion on earthe

patrici Nichol - 5 June 2016

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